Why BMW Is Mulling an M7?

 Yes I'd say we WANT the M7!!!

Why BMW Is Mulling an M7

Luxury Loses Its Luster - MSN Autos

Hard economic times are even falling on one of the auto world's most solid car makers. As tough as I've been on BMW over the past year or so, I must say the updated Bangle designs are really growing on me! The 2010 Z4 is absolutely stunning! Let's hope they can still sell a few......

Luxury Loses Its Luster - MSN Autos

First Look: 2009 Audi Q5 - MSN Autos

Bellow is a link to a first look from MSN Autos of the 2009 Audi Q5. It was only a matter of time before Audi was to follow most Auto makers with the mid sized cross over SUV, and it looks like Audi is aiming right for the BMW X3 buyer. The Q5 actually looks more proportioned than it's larger brother Q7. Depending on pricing, Audi may really hit the mark with this SUV... The worlds best fit and finish, potent V6, Legendary Quattro... I can't think of any reason why I would choose an X3 over the Q5...


First Look: 2009 Audi Q5 - MSN Autos

Then & Now: 2008 BMW 650I

As an awaited follow up to my article "Wall Poster Classics 1985 BMW 635csi" I wanted to take a current look at the second generation BMW 6 series.

The BMW 6 series was a focal point in the Chris Bangle driven redesign of the BMW fleet. Currently available in a coupe & convertible configuration, the 2008 BMW 650I see's little changes since the second generation introduction in 2003. Powered by a silky smooth 4.8 liter V8, the 360HP 650I rockets to easy mid 5 second 0-60 times. Options include the legendary BMW 6 speed manual transmission, or one can opt for BMW's all new Sport Automatic Transmission. According to BMW this is a step forward from the clunky and laggish steptronic transmission from previous years (no pun intended).

Of course the 2008 BMW 650I has the "Hate it!" or "Really hate it!" idrive system. BMW says the idrive has been updated to make it easier to navigate the system. So in other words you'll have 3 pages of options to go through to change the radio station instead of 7.

I hate to sound so negative about the second generation 6 series. Really, I should love everything about this car. Big, German, fast, coupe, V8, all great things. Like any BMW the 6 series is solid, and handles like no other car on the road. The styling has still not sold me, and I think it has lost some of the head turning ability that the first generation cars had. Personally I think the coupes look far better than the convertibles. I do not like BMW's new interior styling. Contemporary is one thing, but come on... Even the 300 at Thermopylae would find this interior bland.

So is the second generation BMW 6 series still "The ultimate driving machine?" Well, probably. It just seems some of the passion the first car had has been lost over the years. I know several people who have a second generation 6 and they love them. I really want to love this car, seriously I do. But, every time I see one I always find myself thinking "I'd just save myself $65,000 and buy a classic one."

iPhone Road Shots: Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3L 16v Cosworth

Thank you to Bryan for a great iPhone road shot of the classic Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3L 16v. This car was an answer from Mercedes to BMW's first generation M3. Mercedes teamed with Cosworth to produce a high revving quick little 2.3L 4 cylinder engine. Later models had a 32v 2.3L engine (Not brought to the U.S. unfortunately) These cars are getting really hard to find in good, original shape. In fact I search for them from time to time on Ebay motors and nice examples go for a high premium. Here is a nice example in Champagne (seem to see a ton of them in that color here in the U.S.)

If you have a cool iPhone road shot (or any other phone or camera for that matter) Please email pics to cartestride@yahoo.com

iPhone Road Shots: 2000 E39 BMW M5

I just happened to run into a friend today who has an absolutely beautiful 2000 E39 BMW M5!! Check out the rare color combo of ice blue over black with red inserts. This has to be one of my all time favorites. BMW, saloon, racing tuned suspension, Manual transmission and 394 hp... it just doesn't get much better than that! I think it is the best set of iPhone Road shots so far!

Check out how the badges have been removed.. can anyone say "Sleeper!"

iPhone Road Shots: BMW 3 Series E90

I know it isn't exactly a rare car to see on the road. But, I snapped some pics of this nice E90 3 Series sedan today as a follow up to my test ride review. I'm pretty sure this car is a 2006 330i (please correct me if I'm wrong). This car is a perfect example of how beautiful the new 3 series can look with the right color and options. Check out the slick alloy wheels.. and I love the dark metallic grey paint (very similar to my Audi actually). I know it is still a love or hate design.. With this set up though.. gleaming in the sun. I think this car looks fantastic..

The search for my next car.. 2007 BMW 328i test ride review

Well by now some of you may be noticing a trend. Yes! I do like German cars. I promise though there are some good pictures and reviews on American Muscle coming up soon!

The BMW 3 series has set the benchmark for many years in terms or performance, style, quality and overall driving perfection. It was one of my top choices a few years back when searching for a new car. The E46 chassis 3 series was a high water mark for BMW. After years of perfecting, everything seemed in perfect harmony with the E46. So how does the E90 chassis fair?

Pretty much anyone who is into cars knows about the controversy surrounding the new BMW styling. At first I wasn't even considering checking out the 2007 3 series because I hated the new body design. Hated everything about it. It looked plastic and out of proportion to me. But, everywhere I turned there were adds beckoning me to come look at the new 3 Series. Thousands off this.. lease for nothing that... Finally enough was enough and I went down to my local BMW dealer to test drive an 2007 328i.

Immediately I notice a white over beige 328i sitting up front. Personally I hate this color combo and informed the salesman I had no interest in that car at all. He said he did have the same car in Black over tan (perfect!) and he'd run and get it so we could take it for a drive. While he was searching the lot, I stood in deep thought pondering the lines of the white Florida dream sitting in front of me. Actually it really does grow on you the more you look at it. All the body lines seem to swoop and curve and stop abruptly. I was really starting to warm up to the new body design until I saw... the wheels. Ok.. I know BMW has tons of expensive wheel options and sport packages . this car looks great with them. But, the stock 16 inch wheels look like GARBAGE... I'm sorry.. they look horrid in every way imaginable. BMW really needs to make 17 inch alloys standard on all 3 series cars. I can't imagine walking into a BMW dealership with a handful of cash and saying "Ah.. yes.. I'll take THAT one.. the one with the little wheels." I really think that is a main reason why people have said bad things about this new design.. they've glanced at a 3 series with 16 inch wheels and thought "Urgh.. its hideous!" Anyway enough of my rant.. back to the test ride.

The salesman then pulled up in a beautiful Black metallic over tan 328i. The car had the steptronic automatic transmission and was nicely optioned (minus idrive!! thank God!). Of course the one thing this car was missing was.. 17 inch wheels!!! And the same car with a sport package is about $1500 more. Not terribly expensive to rid this car of the 16 inch wheels.. and also adds multi power seats. That option is a must have in my book, but the main point of this was to actually drive the car... so I looked past the 16 inch wheels for now. Sitting in the car I immediately noticed BMW's interior materials aren't the same quality as they used to be. Don't get me wrong, the fit and finish was very good... Just not quite as good as Audi or Mercedes-Benz entry level sedans. In design the interior is very contemporary and understated. Driving position was very good, but after finding a comfortable position with the driver seat back, no way a passenger over 3 foot tall could sit behind me.

Pulling out of the dealership I noticed strait away how precise everything was on this car. Steering was as finely tuned as the London Symphony. The car was very delicate in a way. All the mechanical processes blend in such a perfect combination its hard to describe. The smooth hum of the quick 230hp 3.0 liter strait 6 engine, highly responsive breaks and of course the suspension. This car really does handle and drive like no other. During our test ride the salesman kept trying to show me how good the stereo was. I didn't care.. in fact.. I turned it off. All I wanted to do in this car was drive. Hands at ten and two.. Eyes forward... Just drive. I didn't care about the cup holders, or the dual climate control, or any of the bells and whistles for that matter. Just those two very functional German gauges directly in front of me ticking around like a Swiss watch.. the gas pedal, the break pedal, the steering wheel and the road in front of me.

If you start to peel away all the quirks of the new 3 Series. What you are left with is pure BMW. The 3 series is still alive and well under that skin. Yes the 16 inch wheels suck.. Yes the run flat tires suck. Ya the design is still hard to get used to. But, as a pure drivers car it just doesn't get any better. The MSRP on the car I drove was around $34,500... and lets just go ahead and add another $1500 or so for the sport package.. because I wouldn't own one without it. If I could find a nice Black over Tan or black 328i with a sport package.. This car sits firmly at number one on my list for a new car. The 335i (a little out of my price range unfortunately) must be just fantastic with its twin-turbo 300hp engine. When the 2008's start to arrive (no changes from what I've heard) I'll drive one home if the deal is right. The BMW 3 series may not be perfect on the outside... But, it is perfect on the inside... And like most things in life.. that is what really matters most!

2009 Audi A4 - First Drive - Motor Trend

2009 Audi A4 - First Drive - Motor Trend

Here is a link to Motor Trend for a first drive review on the all new 2009 Audi A4. I have seen some initial pictures of this new A4 before. Having a 2004 Audi A4 myself, I will say I wasn't the biggest fan of the grill redesign that came after my model. Also disappointing was how Audi took away some of the standard convenience features (like a trip computer that came with a basic options package.. now requires and additional $2000+ package... outrageous!). One of the main reasons I chose my A4 over a BMW 3 series was all the goodies that came standard with the car. I test drove the 2007 A4 and was very disappointed in the stripped down options on the lease special cars.

It looks like Audi is gunning to pull ahead of its German rivals BMW and Mercedes-Benz with this redesign. I personally think the 2009 A4 looks fantastic! Audi has definitely borrowed some design features from its big brother A6. The interior looks amazing as always. No doubt Audi is leaps and bounds above most automakers when it comes to interior design. More HP out of the A4's awesome 2.0 turbo direct injected engine, more interior room and LED headlights like on the Audi R8 (are they cool or what!) make the 2009 Audi A4 one of the most exciting new models I've seen in a long time! Let's hope Audi doesn't continue to strip standard features and make them only available with overpriced options packages on this model.

The 2009 Audi A4 is scheduled to be released in mid 2008. To bad my lease is up in January, this is a car I just might be willing to wait for!

The new V8 BMW M3 E92

Another great Fifth Gear video with Tiff driving the new E92 BMW M3. I have to admit I wasn't the biggest fan of the last model M3. Not that it wasn't a fantastic car.. Because it was! It just had lost the sleeper appeal it once had. The people who bought the last generation M3 seemed to buy the car for its flash and dance, rather than pure driving perfection.

The new E92 BMW M3 now has a V8. The first time BMW has strayed from the tried and true strait 6 in the M3. I haven't seen or driven this car yet so I shouldn't really form an opinion. But, from the looks of this video BMW have once again overloaded this car with computers and that stupid idrive. Maybe idrive is the future, but I think I'd rather be stuck in the past..

"Wall Poster Classics" 1985 BMW 635csi

The year was 1985... Tubbs & Crockett were all the rage... My Bedroom was riddled with posters and die-cast models of prancing horses and cars with doors that seemed like something out of a sci-fi novel. We all had our favorites... mine was the Ferrari 288 GTO... it's a car I still dream about to this day. Amidst all the over the top Italian Madness, the Germans managed to pump out Autobahn super coupes that in many ways alluded my wall as a kid. The Porsche 928, the Mercedes-Benz 560sec, the Audi Quattro and the BMW 635csi.

They didn't have doors that spun upside down and inside out. They didn't have more gills than a school of fish. And for the most part, they didn't have their own poster section at you favorite mall hangout. What they did have was powerful engines that actually worked without a $5,000 service every 1000 miles. Subtle but powerful bodies of solid German steel (and aluminum in some cases) that were built to last like a 1000 year old castle on the Rhine, not like a fragile Baroque piece sitting behind climate controlled, bullet proof glass in the Louvre. Tasteful and functional interiors. And the forefront of innovations we are just now starting to see as standard features on modern cars.

Looking back now I find myself asking.. Why didn't I have my walls plastered with 1980's German innovation? Why didn't I focus my boyhood car dreams on realistic executive coupes that the upper middle class business man could obtain? I look back on the cars now and lust after a big German coupe just as much as I did over Italian madness as a kid. These cars have proven themselves timeless. And many are still in top running order today!

The car I am going to focus on today is the infamous "Moonlighting" car. My good friends (and hopefully soon to be guest author) Beautiful 1985 BMW 635csi...

Originally introduced in 1978, the BMW 635csi was a more delicate and precise option over the brute and stiff Mercedes Coupes (another favorite.. we'll talk about them some other day). The 635csi was equipped with BMW's legendary 3.4L strait Six with 182hp and 214 lbs ft. torque. When you first slide into the taught purpose built leather sport seats, the BMW's 22 year old interior is still a fantastic place to sit. I am just amazed at some of the features that were available on this car. Central Locking, a pretty darn sophisticated computer, power seats the go pretty much every way but sideways.

Setting aside and the bells and whistles, as you crank over the silky smooth strait 6, you'll find one of the most unique exhaust notes I've ever heard. I have jokingly told the cars owner that it reminds me of a perfectly timed symphony of pots & pans. It is just precision engineering at its best! Once I got this old girl out on the road, I was immediately surprised at how light it actually feels. Every aspect of the car is scalpel precise. The suspension is notoriously BMW. Everything about this cars handling feels showroom new. I was very impressed with the breaks. They are sharp and responsive. In fact, I have driven modern cars with breaks not as good as this car.

Back to that silky smooth engine! I can imagine back in the day this car was one of the more powerful cars out there. By modern standards it isn't a screamer off the line, but mid range power is still impressive. You can tell this big coupe was built for the Autobahn. There was also the infamous M6 (again, another car for another day) which had performance on par with the supercars of the day.

This car is becoming a classic. I have watched these cars jump in value even over the past 5 years or so. That said, you can still find one of these in great shape for under $10,000. The BMW 635csi has always had a cult like following, and now more and more interest is being drawn to these old girls with the introduction of the new BMW 635. Maybe I should have put a poster of the BMW 635csi right next to my Ferrari and Lamborghini posters. It sure would have deserved that spot! A great car indeed... I can only sum this car up in two words..

"Sehr Gut!!!"